


Harvest Moon: The Novel

by CurtTheGamer



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Back To Nature, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Video Game 2020), 牧場物語つながる新天地 | Story of Seasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CurtTheGamer/pseuds/CurtTheGamer
Summary: Pete is a young man from the big city. He hasn't dreamed of having a job outside the city, nor does he want to. But when an old friend from a small village dies, Pete inherits his farm. Though reluctant, he agrees to leave his city life to become a farmer. Will he live happily ever after, or will the old-fashioned country life become a bore?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story idea that has been floating around in my head for quite some time now. I've always wanted to write a novel based on the Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games, so I thought I would write it now. I have all of the main plot points already planned out, but there are certain details and events that I will be making up as I go along. Also, this is not a strict adaptation of any one of the Harvest Moon games, but draws from multiple games of the series,. So the world does not fit 100% with any of the games, but is a new continuity, mainly drawing ideas from Harvest Moon 64 and Back to Nature/Friends of Mineral Town. You will also notice many nods to other Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons games that I worked into the story. I hope you enjoy the story.

The sound of the rooster's crow entered old Farmer Jack's ears at around 6:00 in the morning as it always did. For as long as he could remember, this was his life, working on the farm that his parents had left him when they had died. There was nothing he enjoyed more than feeding the animals and watering the crops, and today was no exception. He loved the animals as if they were part of the family, and he felt it was his duty to make sure they could have the best life they ever could have.

But it was on this particular morning, early in July, that little Pete first set foot in Mineral Town and met old Farmer Jack for the first time. Pete was a five-year-old boy from a big city across the sea, and had come with his parents to Mineral Town on a Summer vacation. Pete was the kind of boy who loved exploring new places, and was anxious to see what fun things he could find to do in this little village. When the ship reached the shore, he immediately picked up his little backpack and ran off without waiting for his parents, and soon found that he couldn't remember the way back. Afraid and alone, he hid behind a large stack of hay and began to cry.

Farmer Jack had been working on the farm all morning, feeding the animals, milking the cows, crating the eggs, sheering the sheep, and pulling the weeds from his garden. He was in the middle of playing fetch with his pet dog, wondering what he would do when he got too old to work on the farm (as he had no wife or children), when he heard the sobs from behind the haystack. Looking behind it, he saw little Pete sitting there afraid.

"Why, hello little one!" he said, trying to sound as kind as he possibly could. "I haven't seen you around here before! What's wrong?"

Little Pete turned his back and cried some more. He had been warned by his parents about strangers, and wasn't about to make the exception for this old man, no matter how kind he seemed.

"You don't have to be afraid," said old Jack, trying to figure out what to do. "I won't hurt you." Looking closely at Pete, he noticed a tag hanging from his backpack, which had a phone number written on it. "Wait here," he said to Pete. "I think I know what to do."

Entering his house, Farmer Jack went to his phone and dialed the number that was written on the tag. After a few seconds of ringing, he heard a voice at the other end.

"Pete, is that you?" came a worried woman's voice from the phone.

"He's alright," said Farmer Jack. "He's here at my house. Just ask for directions to Farmer Jack's farm, and you'll find him here safe and sound."

A few minutes later, Pete's parents were reunited with their son, and were tearfully thanking old Jack for helping them find him. "We were so worried that we had lost him," said the mother. "We rarely ever go on vacation, and he's never been to an unfamiliar town before."

"I'm glad everything turned out okay," said Farmer Jack, smiling. Turning to little Pete, he asked, "Have you ever been to a farm before?"

"No, sir," answered Pete. "I've always wanted to though."

"Well," said old Jack with a laugh. "How would you and your family like to spend vacation at my farmhouse? I have sleeping bags, and you can all spend your nights in my house as long as your vacation goes for, and I can even teach you about the animals and crops."

Pete's face lit up with excitement, and he turned happily to his parents. "Can I, Mommy? Please? Daddy, you heard what the old farmer said! I can stay on the farm!"

His father frowned, "I don't know, little Pete. I'm not sure if we have the money..."

"Oh there will be no charge!" said Farmer Jack quickly. "You can stay here for free. I rarely have visitors these days, and having you here is payment alone for me."

"Thank you, sir," said Pete's mother. "You don't know how much this means to little Pete, getting to play on a farm for his Summer vacation.

So, over the following month, Pete and his parents stayed in Farmer Jack's house during their vacation, and Pete had the time of his life learning all about the animals and the different crops that grew in the garden. Pete also enjoyed exploring in the woods and meeting other little kids around his age to play with. And there was one little kid in particular who Pete remembered years after his vacation had ended.

It was the third day since he and his family had began staying at old Jack's house. Pete was sitting in the woods under a tree, resting. He had almost dozed off, when he heard a lovely little voice humming from far away.

"La la laaaaa, la la laaaaaa la, la, la la. La la laaaaa, la la laaaaaa la, la, la la."

The little voice came closer and closer and closer, and last a little girl, just about Pete's age, approached him.

"Oh, hello!" she said. "You must be that kid who's been staying on Farmer Jack's farm for his family vacation."

"Yes," said little Pete. "That's me."

"Oh, nice to meet you," said the little girl. "I've heard so much about you from some of the other kids in the village, and I've been wanting some new friends to play with. I get so bored out here sometimes."

"Well," said little Pete, getting up and stretching, "I would love to spend some time with you. I've been a bit bored today as well."

So Pete and his new friend played together in woods near the farm, and when evening came, they both climbed to the peak of Moon Mountain to sing their little song together.

"La la laaaaa, la la laaaaaa la, la, la la," they sang. "La la laaaaa, la la laaaaaa la, la, la la."

They did this every sunny day of that wonderful Summer. For years afterwards, it was the best Summer Pete had ever had.

But, as sad as it is, Summer never lasts forever. In early August, it came time for Pete and his parents to return home to the big city across the sea. Pete said a tearful goodbye to old Jack and his new little friend, and hugged both of them.

"I'll get awful lonely without you here," said Farmer Jack. "Would mind writing me a letter every few weeks?"

"I'll write you lots of letters!" said Pete. "This was the best Summer ever!"

As Pete boarded the ship to sail across the sea, the little girl shouted to him from the shore. "Come back someday! Please don't forget! Come back to see me again as soon as you can!"

"I will!" Pete shouted back. "I promise!"

And, one day, he did come back, twenty years later...


	2. Chapter 1

Pete turned off the old film projector as the footage drew to a close. How long had it been since these events had happened that he had just finished viewing? How old was he? He couldn't remember. Ten? Eight? No, five. He was five years old when his parents had taken him on vacation to Mineral Town, and it had now been twenty years since that event. Pete had never returned to Mineral Town, although he had written more letters than he could count to old Jack. Over the years, Pete's interests had largely changed. He had grown accustomed to life in the big city (it was, after all, his home), and the idea of ever living and working on a farm had become foreign to him. And yet, he still never forgot to write a letter to Farmer Jack every week, and old Jack always wrote back... Until now.

For the past month, Farmer Jack had not replied to any of Pete's letters. Pete had even written and mailed more than he usually did, just to make sure old Jack didn't feel that Pete was writing enough to him, and still he received no letters in reply. It had now been over a month since he had heard anything from the old man, and Pete began to suspect that something was wrong.

As Pete looked over some of the letters that old Jack had sent him in the past (some including photos of animals that Farmer Jack had raised), his father entered the room.

"Are you still waiting for old Jack to write you back?" he asked.

"Yes," said Pete. "I'm afraid something has happened to him."

"Don't be silly," said his father. "He's probably just been busy."

"For more than a month?" Pete replied. "I don't think so. Dad, we need to return to Mineral Town and find out what happened."

Pete's father sighed. "Son, we're not going back to Mineral Town. Stop being ridiculous."

Pete stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in. "I'm not being ridiculous, Dad! I need to see if old Jack is alright! Why can't you understand?" Pete sat down again with a sigh. "Of course you can't understand. You've been so obsessed with your own work and hobbies ever since Mom died."

His father frowned. "Pete, we don't talk about Mom anymore. Don't mention her again!"

Pete got up again and walked up the stairs to his room. "Someday," he said to himself, "I'm going to move into my own house, and I won't have to put up with Dad anymore."

A few hours later, his father opened the door to his room, and peeked in. "You awake, Pete?"

"Yeah. What do you want?"

"Pete, I've thought about what you were saying earlier, and I think you're right. We should return to Mineral Town and see how Farmer Jack has been doing."

Pete sat up in surprise. "You mean it?" he said.

"Yes," he answered. "After all, I've been missing some of the folks there myself. That bartender served some good wine."

"Duke, you mean?" asked Pete.

"Yup," said his Dad. "That's the one. You should really try some of the wine there now that you're old enough to drink. Mineral Town has some of the best I've tasted."

* * *

The next day, Pete and his father packed some clothes and other belongings and boarded a ship headed for Mineral Town. The night before, Pete had gone shopping and bought some new clothes; a pair of overalls and a blue baseball cap with a yellow bill. He chose to wear these because they were very similar to the clothes he had worn to Mineral Town all those years ago when he was a kid. His father, on the other hand, wore his regular suit from the office he worked at.

Seeing the shore of Mineral Town as the boat approached it brought a wave of good memories rushing back to Pete. As soon as the boat reached the shore, Pete rushed off to old Jack's farmhouse and knocked at the door. Then he knocked again. And again. And again. But nobody answered. Pete opened the door, and found that nobody was inside the house. He looked around the yard. The plants were dead, and weeds had grown all over the garden. He looked in the barn, in the stable, and in the chicken coop. There were no animals in sight. Was Farmer Jack dead?

As Pete looked around the farm in horror, a voice broke the silence. "Hey!" Pete turned around. A bald old man on a horse rode up. "Are you Peter Riverheart?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Pete. "How did you know my name?"

The old man dismounted and shook Pete's hand. "The name's Barley." he said. "Barley Eagletide. I've been waiting for you to arrive. Old Jack's been wanting to see you again for two weeks now. I'm glad you could arrive in time to see him."

"Wanting to see me where?" asked Pete. "Is he alright?"

"No," Barley answered gravely. "He's in the hospital."

* * *

There were no cars or trucks in Mineral Town. It was such a small, old-fashion town that everybody either walked or rode horses. Barley had let Pete borrow his horse, and Pete raced to the hospital as fast as he could. His worst fear had been confirmed; Farmer Jack was dying. Pete didn't even know if he could make it to the hospital in time to see him before he died, but he hoped he could.

As Pete entered the hospital, he was greeted by the face of a woman he hadn't seen in years. Sasha, the 43-year-old owner of the town vineyard, had also come to the hospital to see old Jack, and she was happy to see Pete there.

"Well well," she said, "If it isn't Pete. You may have grown since the last time we saw each other, but I'd recognize that hat anywhere."

"Yes, Mrs. Forestgaze," answered Pete. "It's good to see you again too."

"Karen is going to be excited when she hears that you're back in town," said Sasha. "I remember the two of you having so much fun together back when you two were kids."

"Yes," said Pete. "Your daughter was a good friend. I'll be happy to see her again."

"Is that you, Pete?" came a voice from the corner. A nurse in a blue gown with a white apron approached the two people.

"Ellie?" said Pete. "Is that really you?"

"Yes," answered Ellie. "It's me. I'm so happy to see you again. It's been years."

"So, I assume you changed your mind about working at your father's bakery when you grew up?" asked Pete.

"Oh," said Ellie, "I still work little jobs there from time to time, but I realized that what I really wanted to be was a nurse."

"And why's that?"

"Oh, I'll tell you some other time," said Ellie nervously. "Old Jack's been waiting to see you. Come on!"

Pete entered the room where Farmer Jack lay on a hospital bed. His face was pale, and he looked like he didn't have much time left to live.

"Ah," he said. "Pete, my boy, I'm so glad I got to see you one last time."

Tears started to form in Pete's eyes. "I was worried when you stopped writing back," he said. "I was afraid you had died already."

"Just a few more minutes delay, and you might not have gotten to have a last conversation with me," said old Jack. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," said Pete. "I have to say that I'm not all that interested in farming anymore, but I do remember your kindness to me back then. You were like a grandfather to me."

"Listen to me, Pete," said the old man, "I don't have much time, and I think my words to you will inspire you for the rest of your life."

"I'm listening," said Pete.

"Pete," said old Jack. "I want you to know that..." He continued talking in a mumbled voice, and Pete had difficulty making out what he was saying. He put his ear closer, but still couldn't make it out. When the old man had finished speaking, he closed his eyes. Pete stared at him, waiting to see if he would try to speak to him again in a clearer voice. But he didn't. He never moved again.

When it hit Pete that old Jack had died, his tears poured from his eyes more heavily than they had before. All those years ago, he'd said that he would return to Mineral Town, and he finally had, only to see Farmer Jack die moments later.

"Pete?" came the voice of his dad from around the corner. "Pete!" He entered the room. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you all over town!" His eye fell on Farmer Jack's body on the bed. "Oh," he sighed. "So it's just as you feared. I'm sorry, son. Did he say anything at the end?"

Pete didn't answer. He just sat and stared at old Jack's body as he tried to process what had happened. As he did this, Ellie entered the room along with Dr. Trent. The two of them had been looking after the old man and tending to him over the month while waiting for Pete. While they were relieved that it was over now, they still felt sad about losing the guy, especially because he had been Pete's friend.

"We're sorry, Pete," said Trent. "We helped him for as long as we could. But no medicine can keep somebody alive forever."

"I understand," said Pete, getting up from his seat and walking toward the doorway where his father stood. "I best be going now."

"Wait a second," said Ellie.

"No," said Pete's father. "He's had quite enough drama today, and it's getting late. We need to get to the inn before it gets dark."

"But Pete should really have a look at old Jack's will before he leaves," Ellie insisted.

Pete shook his head. "No thanks," he said. "I was friends with him, but I don't think he'd want me getting involved with the person who's going to own his farm now that he's dead. It's not my business to bother other people who I probably don't even know." He turned to leave.

"But Pete," said Ellie. "You don't understand. _You're_ the one who's going to own his farm now."

Pete stopped dead in his tracks, and slowly turned around. "What did you say?"

"You heard me," said Ellie. "Look for yourself."

Pete took Farmer Jack's will from Ellie's hand and looked at it. Written at the bottom, it said:

_"As I have no children or other family members to give my farm to, after I am dead or otherwise unable to take care the farm, it is to be given to Peter Riverheart."_


	3. Chapter 2

As the sun was slowly setting, Pete and his father entered the Green Inn and rented a room. The Green Inn was a lively place. It was owned by a man named Doug, who was a good friend of Barley's and could often be found helping him out on his little ranch during the day. The Green Inn also included a restaurant downstairs, which mad some of the best food around. Pete and his dad decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to eat a meal there before they returned to the big city in the morning, so they went downstairs and found some seats.

Duke was still working there as a bartender. Although he was now 52 years old, he still had as much energy as he'd had twenty years ago when Pete and his parents had come to visit. "Hey!" he said happily when he saw them enter. "I been wonderin' when you guys would be comin' back to Mineral Town? So how've things been goin'?"

"Well," said Pete. "I've been living life in the big city, as usual. My dad and I came back to this little town to see how Farmer Jack was doing."

"Oh," said Duke sadly. "Yeah, I heard about that. Sorry for your loss, Pete. He was a good friend to you."

"Is that Pete?" came a female voice from across the room. A tall woman with dark hair got up from one of the tables and approached the group.

"Yo!" said Duke. "Yes, it's Pete alright." He turned to Pete. "I don't suppose you remember my wife. Her name is..."

"Mana," interrupted Pete. "Yes, I remember. Your daughter used to come around to talk to Farmer Jack sometimes. She didn't really play in the woods with me and the other kids because she was older, but I remember her being pretty friendly."

Mana sighed. "Unfortunately," she said, "Aja left town with a friend ten years ago and never returned."

"We talkin' about Aja and Joanna?" came a tough but friendly voice from a nearby table.

"Hey, Zack!" said Duke. "Yeah, we talking about them. Pete was wonderin' about Aja. Oh, by the way, Pete's back in town!"

"Yeah, I know," said Zack. "I encountered his father at the lake shore when he arrived. Pete ran off too fast for me to say hi though."

"Hi," said Pete.

"Hey," said Zack. "So you want to know about Aja?"

"Yes," Pete answered. "That would be nice. It has been awhile since I've been here after all, and I'd like to do a little bit of catching up."

"Well, you see," Zack began, "Joanna, that's my sister, decided that she'd had enough here in this little town, and she convinced Duke and Mana's daughter Aja to come with her to live in a big city across the sea. But not the same big city you live in. A different one..."

"Yeah, yeah," said Pete. "I know that there are big cities all over the world."

"Anyway," said Zack. "Those two left ten years ago, and I guess they liked living in the big city, because Aja never came back, and Joanna only returned once, and it wasn't because she wanted to see her old friends again either."

"Why did she come to visit then?" asked Pete.

"She wasn't visiting," said Zack. "She had gotten involved with a guy from the big city, and then he left her after only a few months. The exact details of it, I have no clue, because I only have what Joanna told me on the day she came back. All I know is that she had a boyfriend, and then they broke up. But Joanna returned to Mineral Town about five years ago with a child. She was only about a year old, but Joanna said that she didn't want to raise a child, so she left the child with my father Barley, and then left Mineral Town again and hasn't been seen since."

"So Barley is your father then?" asked Pete.

"Yup," said Zack. "And he's little Mae's grandfather, and I'm her uncle. She's never seen her mother again since that day, even though she's talked to her on the phone a few times. I wish she'd come back again, because I don't think it's good for the poor child to be so lonely."

"Alright," said Duke. "I think there's been enough talking about sad events now. Enough sad things have happened for Pete today, I'm sure."

"Yes," said Mana. "Poor Pete is probably still thinking about old Jack's death, and wondering what will become of his farm now."

"Oh," said Pete. "Farmer Jack gave the farm to me."

"Oh, how wonderful!" said Mana. "So this means you'll be a farmer now, just like you always wanted?"

"No," said Pete.

Mana frowned. "What do you mean, Pete? I remember you telling me back in the day that you wanted to be a farmer when you grew up."

"That was twenty years ago," said Pete. "My interests have changed since then. I want to get a job in the big city where I live. I'm glad that old Jack thought about me and wanted to give me his farm, but I'm afraid I can't accept. I'm leaving the farm for somebody else to take care of."

"And who do you think will take ownership of that farm?" said Duke.

"I don't know," said Pete. "Put an ad in the paper or something. All I know is, I am _not_ going to be living there. Farm life is not for me, and nothing is going to change that."

"Well," Mana sighed, "If you feel that it's not for you, then we respect your decision, and we won't talk about it anymore."

"But..." Duke began.

"That's enough, Duke!" said Mana. "He's made up his mind, and we need to respect that."

* * *

Pete and his dad woke early the next morning, so they could prepare to board the ship back across the sea to their home in the big city. Pete was a bit sad to be leaving this little town again, but he knew that he could never adjust to life in this little old-fashioned town. He was a city boy, and a job in the city was what he needed.

As he came down the stairs, he bumped into a girl who was just about his age, and almost knocked her off the step.

"Whoa!" came an angry voice. "What do you think you're doing, ramming into me like that!" She raised her fists in a defensive pose, but then stopped. "Oh, Pete! I forgot that you were staying here! I went to bed before you arrived at the inn."

Pete stared at her for a second. She had red hair tied in a ponytail, and was wearing blue overalls. She was kind of cute.

"Ann!" said Pete. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

The two hugged and laughed.

"Oh, Pete," said Ann. "I've missed you so much. I remember those days in that Summer long ago that we would play together out in the woods near old Jack's house! Remember all the horses?"

"Yes!" said Pete. "It was so fun riding them!"

"It's so sad that Farmer Jack is dead now," said Ann. "He had to sell all of his horses when he fell ill a few months ago. They're all in Forget-Me-Not Valley now."

"Yeah," said Pete. "But at least I got to say goodbye to him before he died."

"It's too bad that there nobody to take over his farm," said Ann.

Pete remembered that Ann had not heard that Farmer Jack had given the farm to him, but, because he didn't want to state his reasons for not accepting it, he decided it was best not to tell her about this, so instead he just answered, "Yeah, I hope somebody will buy his farm."

"Me too," said Ann. "Because if nobody does, this group of land developers from one of the big cities across the sea plans to purchase it, and they will build huge carnivals and factories and other big city stuff on the farm, and that building project will just expand as the years go by."

Pete hadn't heard about this. "Really?" he asked.

Ann nodded. "It was in the newspaper just last week. These developers are very rich, and if they get their hands on that farm before somebody else does, our little town will never be the same again! Our peaceful farm and country life will be gone!"

"Is everything alright, Ann?" came Doug's voice from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Dad," said Ann. "I'm just talking to Pete."

"Well," said Doug, "Pete's trying to get ready to return home, so don't leave him waiting too long."

"Okay, Dad," said Ann. She turned back to Pete. "I guess I should let you go then, huh?"

"Yeah," said Pete.

"But please try to come back to Mineral Town soon! Please?" said Ann. "I've missed you."

"I definitely will," said Pete. "See you next time I come here."

"Bye!" said Ann happily.

"And I'll see you too, Mr. Green," Pete said as he passed by Doug.

* * *

At the shore, Zack helped Pete and his dad load their luggage into the ship. "Thanks for coming back after all these years," he said, "Even if was just to see how Farmer Jack was doing."

"It was no problem," said Pete's dad. "I always wanted to come back at some point anyway."

Pete was barely listening to this conversation. What Ann had said to him earlier had sunk deep into his thoughts. What if those land developers managed to purchase the farm before somebody else did? If somebody else did manage to get there first, would they want to continue doing what Farmer Jack had done, or would the place never be a farm again? And what if those land developers got there first? And would anybody even want to own that property now? It was kind of a mess. And what if those land developers got there first?

He couldn't get it out of his head. This beautiful little town, as old-fashioned as it was, deserved to stay peaceful and quiet. Pete didn't want to have guilt hovering over his head if anything ever happened that changed that.

"Alright, Pete!" said his dad. "Climb aboard."

Pete started to walk up the ramp onto the boat, but stopped halfway up. His dad frowned. "What's wrong, Pete?"

Pete sighed. "I've just been thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"I was thinking, you know, that... well... maybe, I should accept ownership of the farm after all."

"Don't be silly, Pete. You know farm life isn't for you."

"But Dad, Ann says that some land developers from a big city might destroy this town if they get to that farm before somebody else does."

"Ah," said Zack. "So I see that somebody has finally slipped the news to you."

"You knew about this as well?" asked Pete. "Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

"Because I wanted the choice to be yours," answered Zack. "I didn't want you to feel obligated to do it just for our sakes. But I see it's too late for that now."

"It's not too late," said Pete's father, sternly. "He's not going to take ownership of that farm. He knows it's not his kind of thing."

"But do I, really, Dad?" asked Pete.

"Yes," said his dad. "In just a few hours you'll be glad that you decided to return home with me. Now hop aboard! The boat will be departing at any minute!"

"I think I should stay here, Dad."

"You won't stay here! I won't allow it!"

"You don't have to allow it, Dad. I'm an adult now, and can make my own decisions. I legally own the farm, and I can decide what's going to happen to it."

His dad wasn't happy about this, but he knew that his son was right. He sighed. "You have two years," he said, "And that's it. I will be returning after those two years are up, and then I will take you back home with me to the big city when I see that you haven't made much progress, because I know that you won't. And you'll be glad to return to the big city as well. You'll be waiting impatiently for me to return to get you after only a few months of being here!"

He handed Pete's luggage to Zack. "Help him carry his stuff to the farm. There's not a lot it, though I will be shipping some of his other belongings that I think he'll need."

"Thank you, Dad!" said Pete.

"No need to thank me," said his dad. "You aren't going to like life here. You know it as well as I do. You just don't want to say that you didn't try, and I understand that. See you in two years!" The ramp went up, and the boat began to sail away. Pete waved to his father from the shore, and then turned to follow Zack.

"You made the right choice," said Zack, "And I think you'll like it here, once you've gotten used to it. This is a friendly little village, and I'm sure the villagers wouldn't mind giving you tips when you're having trouble."

Pete didn't know what the future would hold, but the boat and left, and Pete had made his choice. It was worth a try to get that farm up and running again.

He turned a corner, and was greeted once again by the sight of the little farmhouse. He opened the door, and entered, breathing deeply.

"Well," said Zack, setting down Pete's luggage in a corner of the room, "As of today, you are a resident of Mineral Town!"


	4. Chapter 3

For as long as he could remember, Pete's favorite pastime had been to watch TV. So when he saw an old television set in the house complete with an antenna on top, Pete was delighted. He instantly turned it on, only to be greeted by static. He turned the knob to switch channels, but found that nothing worked. Then he looked around for a movie player in hopes of maybe playing a physical copy of the movie, but there was none.

"Oh," said Zack, who was still helping to arrange things in the farmhouse, "We don't get a very good TV signal here in Mineral Town. But..." He began fiddling with the antenna, and then turned the knob until a fuzzy image appeared. "This one channel should do the trick. It has daily news, weather forecasts, and some educational shows. You'll definitely need to keep up on those if you want to survive out here."

Pete stared at the image on the screen. A man was giving the weather forecast for the next day. "There should be good sunny weather all day long. Get out and enjoy the fresh air."

"Good advice," said Zack. "Come on, I've got more to show ya."

Pete followed him outside, where Zack pointed to a large wooden box. "This is a shipping crate," he said. "You can put the crops you grow in here, and I'll come by at 5:00 every evening to pick them up, and give you payment for them." He looked at Pete a moment. "How much cash you got right now?"

"Not much," said Pete, pulling out a wad of cash. "I didn't expect to stay here after all."

Zack took the cash and looked at it. "You'll have to get used to the kind of cash we use here," he said. "Here in Mineral Town, we use gold coins. But don't worry, I'll trade you this money for the equivalent amount of gold coins." He counted the money carefully, then pocketed it. "This is equal to five-hundred gold coins," he said, pulling out a small leather bag and putting some gold coins in it. "Here you are."

"But Zack," said Pete, "How am I to ship stuff if I haven't grown any crops yet?"

"You'll be growing crops soon enough," answered Zack. "And you can also ship milk, eggs, and wool. And even without those you can still forage around the forest areas of the town for some edible things to ship. There are a lot of herbs that doctors around here might want for making medicine, so be sure to ship any of those if you find them."

"How do I grow crops?" asked Pete.

"Don't ask me," said Zack with a laugh. "I've never done it before. But old Barley will know a thing or two, and so will his friend Doug. You should ask them sometime. Those educational TV shows might teach you a thing or two as well." He started to walk away, but then stopped. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. There are shipping crates in the cow barn and in the chicken coop as well, and I will also be checking those when I come to collect your shipments. Remember, every evening at 5:00. Oh, except for festival days of course. You know why?"

Pete just stared at him.

"Because," said Zack, "I need a break sometimes as well." He started laughing, but slowed down when he noticed that Pete wasn't amused. "Anyway," he said, "I think you'll like it here once you've settled down. Who knows? You might even start a family here." He turned and walked away.

"Yeah right," said Pete under his breath. It would probably be years before he found a woman in this town that caught his heart. All he wanted to do right now was to go inside and take a nice long nap. But, that still couldn't happen, because Pete saw that he had a visitor approaching.

The visitor was a funny looking man with a red coat and top hat. He stopped as soon as he was close to where Pete was standing, and introduced himself in a friendly voice.

"Hello there! I'm Thomas Waterun, and I'm the mayor of Mineral Town! I'm so happy to see that you've decided to pick up where old Jack left off. With enough determination, you'll make this farm just as successful as he did, maybe even better!"

Pete didn't say anything, so the mayor went on. "I suppose I should give you a little tour of Mineral Town, shouldn't I? What do you say, Pete?"

"Sure," said Pete.

"Excellent!" said the mayor. "Come on! We mustn't waste any time! There's so much to see!"

He led Pete up the path that led away from the farm, and they began to walk a road that was paved with bricks. They passed a small building with a picture of an anvil painted over the door.

"That's where Saibara the blacksmith lives," said the mayor. "If you ever need a tool repaired or improved, Saibara is the one to go to."

They passed the inn that Pete had slept in just the night before. "I think you already know," said the mayor, "but that's the Green Inn." He pointed to some coops that had been built next to the inn. "The Greens are also poultry farmers. They raise chickens. If you want a chicken, you can buy one from them."

Right across the street from the Green Inn was a little farm that said "Yodel Ranch" on the sign. "That's old Barley's place. He raises cows and sheep and horses."

They went up the road a little. "This here is a shop run by florist Lillia Flowerbud. You can buy any kinds of seeds from her. And that building over there," he pointed to another building across the street, "is the Daybrook Bakery. The owner, old Daniel, along with his wife, became very sick many years ago, and died when their only daughter was just a baby, and the ownership went to Daniel's mother-in-law, Ellen Wellington." He pointed to an elderly lady in rocking chair who sat outside and waved at the two. "But she's getting too old to work there now, and she can barely stand up anymore. Daniel's daughter has opted to work as a nurse at the hospital rather than take her grandmother's job at the bakery, so her good friend Jeff now owns the place, even though she does occasionally still help to bake things there."

Pete knew that the mayor was talking about Ellie, because he had talked to her in the hospital the day before. He wondered if he should visit her sometime to let her know that he was staying in Mineral Town.

"This," said the Mayor, pointing to a large building with stained-glass windows, "is the church. There are services held there every Sunday by Pastor Brown. The children also attend school there on the weekdays, where Pastor Brown's assistant Carter teaches them."

They passed another building, this one having two doors. "This is my house," he said. "I live here with my wife Anna and my daughter Maria. The door on the left leads into the house, and door on the right leads into the library which my daughter runs. Be sure to give it a visit sometime and check out some of the books. They could be helpful when you're learning how to farm."

They began walking down another path that led back to unpaved roads in a more forest-like area. "Here's where the lumberjacks live," said the mayor. "They will build stuff for you, provided you have the materials for them to build it out of. You can also buy the materials from them, but with the amount of money you have right now it will be easier for you to collect your own building materials by cutting up the tree stumps and smashing the boulders."

They came to a fork in the road. "This path," said the mayor, pointing down one of the roads, "leads to the Forestgaze Vineyard. Sasha and her husband Gotz live there with their daughter Karen."

They walked down the other path and came to a little hot spring. "If you're ever feeling tired or worn out, come here to hot spring and take a bath. It will make you feel better." He pointed to a cave nearby that was behind a waterfall. "That's the mine. You can dig for ore and minerals there."

They walked up the path and found themselves back at the farmhouse. "Well," said the Mayor. "That's all. Be sure to come and visit me sometimes, because I'd love the company." He walked up the road and out of sight.

It was only halfway through the day now, and Pete was already tired. Going into the farmhouse, he turned on the TV, hoping a show he liked would be on. A goofy looking guy appeared onscreen.

"Farmer Fran!" shouted the goofy guy. "Farmer Fran!"

"Yes, Jimmy?" said a woman who walked into the frame.

Jimmy held up a watering-can. "I want to know why it takes so long to water my crops!"

"Well, Jimmy," said Fran. "You have to bring the watering-can to the forge along with the proper materials, in order to get it upgraded. Once it's upgraded, you can water your crops much faster."

"Thank you, Farmer Fran!" said Jimmy. "What else can you teach me today?"

Pete sighed. This show was so annoying. Is this the kind of stuff he'd have to put up with if he lived here? If so, it was going to be a very long two years.


	5. Chapter 4

In the evening, Pete entered the Green Inn to eat a meal. Tonight, the bar was full of people sitting at the tables and talking to one another.

"Hey, Pete!" came Duke's voice from behind the bar. "I figured ya might come here tonight. How ya doin'? Want somethin' to drink?"

"I'll just have water," said Pete.

"Well, aren't ya the healthy one!" said Duke. "Hold on a sec, and I'll get it for ya. And sit at any table ya want."

Pete found an empty table and sat down. A sassy voice came from behind him. "Hey! I don't remember seeing you around here before!"

He turned around in his chair, and saw that the voice came from a waitress. A young woman around Pete's age who had long brown hair with blonde bangs and a purple sleeveless jacket with a white tank top underneath and blue shorts. Despite her edgy appearance (or perhaps partly because of it), she was very attractive, and her beautiful green eyes stared at Pete curiously.

"Oh, you must be Pete!" said the waitress. "I'm Karen."

Pete gasped. "Karen? Karen Forestgaze?"

Karen rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm Karen Forestgaze! Who else would I be? There are no other girls named Karen in this town. It is a small village, after all."

"But surely you remember me," said Pete.

"Whether I do remember you or not, it doesn't matter," said Karen. "You won't be here for very long anyway."

"And what makes you think that?" said Pete.

"Oh, I don't think it," said Karen, "I know it. Anybody with any amount of common sense would want to ditch this crummy town the first chance they got."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Pete.

"Of course I am," answered Karen. "Do you think I'm going to stay in this crap hole forever? No. I'm going to move out of here and become a dancer in a big city like my mother before me. Why she moved back into this village, I'll never know. As soon as I earn enough money, I'm out of here forever! I hate this town! Don't think I don't know what you'll think of this town after only a few days!"

"Karen!" came Doug's voice from across the room. "Would you please stop talking to Pete and get on with your work? You still have a half hour before your shift is over. You aren't done yet."

"Alright," said Karen, rolling her eyes again. "I can't wait to get out of this town," she muttered under her breath.

"Pete!" said Ann excitedly from over where Doug was standing. "I'm so glad you decided to take over old Jack's farm! I don't know how well you'll do, but I'm rooting for you!"

"Who's this?" came a grumpy sounding voice from another corner of the room. A young man, slightly older than Pete, wearing an old cap with a picture of a horse on it, approached Pete.

"That's Pete!" said Ann. "He's going to live in Mineral Town now, and take care of old Jack's farm! Isn't that great!"

"I don't think so," he answered with a grouchy voice, and he turned and walked into the back room.

"Hey!" Ann called after him angrily. "Come back here!" She turned back to Pete. "Sorry about that. That was my brother Gray. He's a social disaster."

"You don't have to tell me," said Pete.

"He's right though," said Doug, walking over to the table. "Pete doesn't have what it takes to run a farm. I tried telling you this morning, Ann. He's a city boy. He hasn't worked on a farm in his life. He won't be able to do it. No, he'll give up before you know it and this land will be purchased by those developers. I hate to say it, but that's what will happen." He turned and walked away.

Pete sighed. "He's right," he said. "What do I know about farming?"

"Well," said Ann, "You did enjoy it here twenty years ago."

"But I was a kid then," said Pete. "I didn't look at things the same way I look at them now."

Ann put her hand on Pete's, but he pulled his hand away.

"Don't talk to me!" he burst out. "You acted like you didn't know that I'd inherited the farm when you talked to me this morning, and guilt-tripped me into accepting it when I didn't want to!"

"But I didn't know!" said Ann.

"Oh yeah?" said Pete. "Then why was your father apparently talking with you about me running the farm prior to you finding out about it?"

"I had that conversation with him after you left the inn yesterday," said Ann. "When I talked to you about the developers who wanted to purchase the farmland, I didn't know anything about old Jack's will yet. Dad told me about it after you left. Okay? Please trust me."

Pete wasn't able to answer, because there suddenly came a crash from a corner of the room. Karen had tripped over a table and knocked it over, scatting dishes and food all over the floor.

"Karen!" shouted Duke. "Have you been drinking during your shift again?"

"It was just a little," said Karen.

"Just a little?" he shouted angrily. "You wouldn't be acting like this if it was just a little. You're one of the biggest drinkers in town!"

"I don't care even if it was just a little," Doug chimed in. "The rules of my business are clear. No drinking during shift!"

Ann turned to Pete. "Let's go outside," she said. "Too much craziness for one day. I'll take your meal to your house for you."

They both got up from the table and went outside. Ann laughed, "That was pretty crazy, wasn't it?" They walked over to a fenced area where a bunch of chickens could be seen running around. "These are my family's chickens," she said. "We've been raising chickens for generations."

Pete said nothing. He just stared at the chickens. So Ann went on. "Old Barley next door raises cows and sheep and horses. He gave me one a few weeks ago. Would you like to see him?"

Pete nodded.

Ann led Pete to a small stable and opened the door. They entered, and Pete was greeted by a little horse with brown fur, quietly eating some straw.

"This is Lucky," said Ann. "He's young right now, but he's really smart."

Pete finally spoke. "Yeah, he looks like he'll grow up to be a great horse."

Ann turned to look at him curiously. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," said Pete. "I think he might even be great in the horse races someday." He looked around. "You got any apples?" he asked. "I think he might like one."

"Yup," said Ann, turning around and grabbing one from a box behind her. "I've got one right here."

Pete took the apple and held it out for Lucky, who began eating it from his hand.

"You say you don't know anything about farming," said Ann, "But you're doing very well with Lucky right now."

"Oh, it's just beginner's luck," said Pete.

"No," said Ann. "Lucky actually likes you. You have a way with horses."

"You really think so?" asked Pete.

"I know so!" said Ann. "Pete, you have to stop putting yourself down so easily. You aren't as bad at farming as you think." She pulled out a bag of gold coins. "And I'll make sure to give you any help I can, including giving you a little headstart. Take this money, and first thing tomorrow morning, go to Florist Lillia and buy a bag of turnips. I'll come by the farm tomorrow to help you plant them."

Pete felt ready to cry. "Thank you, Ann," he said. "So far tonight nearly everybody has put me down when it comes to working on the farm. I'm very happy that you're willing to help me, even when your father and brother don't think I can do it."

"I stopped caring about what they think years ago," said Ann. "Once they get to know you better, they'll be saying positive things about you as well, you'll see."

"Yeah," said Pete. He smiled. "You know, things might not be so bad after all. I'll be earning money from crops before I know it. I'll probably even have animals on my farm in year or two."

"You're going to have an animal on your farm starting tonight," said Ann, "Because I'm giving Lucky to you."

Pete gasped. "No, no," he said. "Lucky is _your_ horse. I don't want to take him from you."

"I like Lucky very much," said Ann. "But I don't have room for him here. This is a chicken farm, not a horse ranch. He'll be much better off on your farm than on mine. I'll be sure to come by and visit him so that he won't miss me too much. Just promise me that you'll enter him in the horse race when he's old enough."

"I promise," said Pete. "I'll take very good care of Lucky for you."

"Thank you," said Ann, untying Lucky from the stable. "He's yours. Wake up bright and early tomorrow to feed him. I'll be there to help you. And don't worry, you'll be a great farmer. Maybe the greatest farmer Mineral Town has ever known!"


End file.
